Self-acting railway-switch



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C H STRAUSS SELF ACTING RAILWAY SWITCH.

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C. H. -STFIAUSS. SELF ACTINGRAILWA'Y swlTuH..

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No. |3,827. Patented Nov. 8, |898. c. H. sTnAuss.

SELF ACTING RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Applicaticn led Mar. 18, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 6|3,827. Patented Nov. 8, |898. C. H. STRAUSS.

SELF ACTING RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application led Mar. 18, 1898.)

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No. 618,827. Patented Nov. 8, |898. c; H. sTRAuss.

SELF ACTING RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Mgr; 1S, 189B.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. STRAUSS, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

` SELF-ACTING RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,827, dated November8, 1898.

Application filed March 18 1898.

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES H. STRAUss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Self -Acting Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to prevent loss of life and property byrendering it impossible for a train, car, or engine to run through anopen switch; also-to reduce the labor and expense of switching. This isaccomplished by providing the movable or switch rails with mechanismarranged to be inevitably operated by the` passing engine or car oneither a main or side track before said rails are reached and in suchmanner that said mechanism will be set or arranged ready for operationby a car or engine on the other of said tracks. Thus at all times it istrue of each track either that it is in proper communication with theswitch-rails Without any operation of the latter or the operatingmechanism is set, so that it and the switch-rails must necessarily beproperly actuated and adj usted bythe car or engine before the latterreaches the switch-rails.

It is a further object of my invention to insure that a train may followthe main track in the direction opposite to that above referred towithout any manual operation of the switch. Thus a train in eitherdirection will automatically set the switch for the main track, a manualoperation of the switch or switch-controlling mechanism being necessaryonly when it is desired to run a train from the main upon the sidetrack.

With such objects in view the invention consists in the parts andcombinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, I have shown inthe accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicaleffect without limiting my improvements in their practical applicationsto 'the particular construction which for the sake of illustration Ihave delineated.

In said drawings, Figure lis a perspective Serial No- 674,347. (Nomodel.)

View of portions of a main and side track with switch mechanismembodying a portion of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, which maybe considered as the right-hand prolongation of Fig. l, of a track andswitch mechanism embodying the other portion of my invention. Fig. 3 isa perspective view, on a larger scale, of the movable rails or leversand contiguous parts actuated thereby, forming a part of the mechanismshown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the switchrail actu atingand locking devices, also shown in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a perspective view,on a larger scale, of a portion of the switch mechanism shown in Fig. 2.Eig. 6 is an elevation, partlyin section, of a portion of the mechan ismshown in Fig. 5 for automatically elevat ing the rail-sections. v Fig. 7is a plan view of the same, the actuating-spring being omitted.

Referring to the drawings, c d indicate the main track and a b a sidetrack adapted to communicate therewith by switch-rails e.

A B and C D are vertically-movable levers belonging, respectively, tothe side and main tracks and adapted to be depressed by the weight of apassing engine or car. These lea vers preferably `consist of sections ofthe rails about ten feet long pivoted at 2 between and vertically guidedby heavy fish-plates 3, securely fastened to the track-rails and ties.

E is a rock-shaft arranged transversely to the tracks and mounted in aculvert or space 4 between timbers f, being preferably snpported inbearings 5, formed by depending flanges of the fish-plates. The invertedcaps of said bearings are separate from the shplates, as seen in Fig. 3,and removable. 6 6 are bends or crank-arms formed in or attached to the`shaft E for connection with the levers A B, and 7 7 are similar butopposite bends or cranks for attachment to the levers C D. Suchconnection is effected by links, Fig. 3, each consisting of a pair ofyokes 8, one on each side of the lever and pivoted thereto at 9, and anintermediate semicircular collar l0, arranged between and bolted to theyokes 8, the yokes and collar to= gether surrounding and forming abearing upon the wrist of a crank 6 or 7 of the shaft E.

The parts above described are so constructed and connected with eachother that when one pair of levers, as C D, is elevated,

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say, six inches, the other pair will be levell with the rails. (See Fig.1.) The switchrails e are connected with the shaft E by any suitablemechanism, one form of which is hereinafter described, in such mannerthat they communicate or connect the main track with the rails whichhave their levers depressed. If a train passes along the latter railstoward the switch, say from left to right along the side track a ZJ inFig. 1, it will find the latter set ready for receiving said trainmisplaced switch is automatically insured and without loss of time fromstopping the train or expense of manual labor.

L is a hand switch-lever fixed on the rockshaft E and adapted for use inthe ordinary way when desired to throw the switch manually.

F is a rod pivoted to an arm K, fixed on the shaft E and extending nearthe switchrails c. Here it is connected with a-horizontally-oscillatingbell-crank G, pivoted in or on plate N, fixed on the head-block J. Theother arm of the part G is connected by the switch-rod H with the railse. Thus either movement of the shaft E is transmitted to theswitch-rails. The parts I-I, G, F, and K are all, or some of them,provided with series of pivot-holes, as illustrated, for the properadjustment of the throw of the switch-rails.

In order to provide against accidental displacement of the switch-rails,a further portion of my invention (illustrated in Fig. 4) comprises alock for the rails in either of their adj usted positions. Referring tosaid figure, O is a lock-plate connected and turning with the bell-crankG and having two or more locking recesses or shoulders 11. ai are keysmounted in loose bearings in opposite arms of a lever T, supported bysprings 12 and adapted to be forced by the oscillation of the lever Tagainst the under side of the plate O and as one of the recesses 11comes, by the turning of the plate, over the elevated key to engage saidrecess and hold the plate, the part G, the rod H, and consequently therails efrom movement. The keys slide in fixed bearings 16 on the blockJ. The lever T is mounted on a horizontal axis P, held in the block Jand bracket R on the latter, and is operated bya lateral arm 13 on therod F engaging by a sliding cam action a slotted arm S on the lever T orits axis.

In order that the engaged key x may be disengaged from the plate Obefore the bellcrank lever G is operated, I provide what may be termed alost motion in the connection of the rod F with said lever. A convenientmeans for this purpose is a slot 14 in said rod, engaged by the bolt 15of the lever. This allows the rod F to slide relative to the leverwithout operating it, in the meantime by such movement actuating thelever T and releasing the key. When the end of the slot reaches the bolt15, the switch, now unlocked, will be thrown, as already described. Asshown in Fig. 3, the switch is not quite locked, a little furthermovement of the rod F to the right and vturning of the plateO beingnecessary to allow the elevated key a; to spring it into its notch.

I will now describe the means constituting a further part of myinvention, independent of which the devices above described may beusefully employed, whereby an engine, car, or train coming toward theside track (from the right in the drawings) may automatically throw theswitch if not already properly set so as to give a clear through-trackand prevent any accident from the train taking the siding or becomingderailed by a halfopen switch.

Referring especially to Figs. 2 and 5, X is a switch-controllin gmechanism connected with the switch-rails by a rod F', preferablythrough the mechanism already described, which comprises the rod F andbell-lever G. To this end the rod F is pivoted at 40 to said rod F andis adapted to reciprocate the latter. By this means the rod F is alsoconnected directly with the locking devices and the mechanism X isadapted to preliminarily operate them. The mechanism X, while it maytake various forms, is constructed, preferably, as follows:

C D indicate two sets of levers or equivalent switch-operating partssituated beyond or on the other side of the switch-rails e from thetracks a b c d and consisting, preferably, of rail-sections mountedbetween fish-plates 4l. in the manner already described with referenceto the leversAB. The levers of each set are pivoted between saidfish-plates at 42 and extend toward oneranother, and at theirmeeting-point one of the levers is formed with a recess 43, extendinghorizontally across the end of the lever, and the other with acorrespondin g projection 44, which iits loosely within said recess, sothat as the levers oscillate vertically between the fish-plates on theirpivots 42 they are virtually connected and compelled to move together.

In the construction illustrated one of the levers is pointed and theother formed with a correspondiugly-curved recess.

B2 is a rock-shaft extending transversely to and beneath the levers CD', being contained within a depression or culvert 45 below the trackand between beams or blocks L. Said shaft is mounted in suitablebearings at the ends of the culvert or in depending flanges of IOO IIC

plates 46, the fianges, with their bearings for the shaft, beingconstructed as already described in connection with the parts 5.

D2 is an arm fixed on the shaft B2 and extending above the culvert,where it is pivotally connected at 16 with the said rod F. Thisconnection is adapted for adjustment to regulate the throw of the rod Fby means of aseries of holes 17 in thearm., in any of which the pivot 16may'be fitted.

C2 indicates a pair of cams or arms fitted upon the rock-shaft B2, so asto be capable of longitudinal movement thereon, but prevented fromrotation, as by being mounted upon a squared portion 19 of the shaftsaid cams' are engaged by downwardly-extending fingers 18 on one or theother of the levers of each of the sets C and D', whereby the depressionof said levers when the cams are beneath them will cause the rocking ofthe shaft B2 and actuation of the switch-controlling mechanism andswitch-rails.

Q indicates springs preferably mounted around the shaft B2 and engagingdirectly, or indirectly through plates Q', with the cams C2 to pressthem toward their normal position beneath the track-levers.

The foregoing being the preferred construction of the secondaryswitch-controlling mechanism,its practical operation is as follows:

Vhen a car or train approaches the switch upon the main track in adirection to run either upon the side track a b or to continue upon themain rails c d, (coming from the right in Fig. 2,) the wheels of thetrain will run upon and depress the levers C D', depress the cams C2,turning the shaft B2 and arm D2, move the rod F to the left, and set theswitch-rails e for the main track. If the switch-rails are already setfor the main or through track, the levers C D will be already depressedand not necessary to be operated. When it is desired to run such a trainupon the side track a b, provision, hereinafter described, is made for amanual setting of the switch.

It is desirable to provide means for rendering the secondaryswitch-controlling mechanism X inoperative, so that when a trainapproaches the levers C D from the other side (from the left in Fig. 2)it will either not find the levers C D elevated or if it depresses themwill not cause any change of position in the switch-- rails. To this endI provide a third mechanism for controlling the mechanism X, andcomprising, preferably, the following parts:

A3 B3 indicate two sets of levers of similar construction andarrangement to those already described set in the track between thelevers C D' and the switch-rails. Theselebetween beams or blocks K.

mounted in bearings 24, formed on the fishplates 22,.and also in suchother auxiliary bearings 25 as may be found desirable.

X indicates arms fixed upon the shaft D3 and beneathand engaged by theunder side of the levers A3 B3, whereby the depression of the latterlevers will cause a turning of the rock-shaft. S is an arm fixed uponsaid rockshaft, extending out of the culvert and connected by a rod 26with horizontal oscillating arms e. The latter arms are fixed upon theupper ends of vertical rock-shafts 27,mounted in suitable bearings atthe sides of the culvert 45, and have xed upon them oscillating arms 28.Pivotally attached to the latter are horizontal rods 29, supportedloosely in guides 30 on the sides of the culvert.

3l indicates yokes carried by the rods 29 and passing around orinclosing the shaft B2.

y indicates brackets mounted and adapted to slide upon the latter shaftand connected with the 'cams C?, whereby the longitudinal movement ofsaid `yokes and brackets will shift the cams out from under the levers CD.

Whenever a train approaches the levers C D from the direction of theswitch-rails it will depress the levers A3 B3, turning the rockshaf't D3and arm S, and through the parts 26, z, 27, 28, 29, 31, and y, movingthe cams C2 out from under the levers O D and preventing the actuationof the shaft B2 when the train reaches the last-mentioned levers. Theswitch-rails e thus remain undisturbed. The cams C2 remain removed fromunder the levers so long as there is weight upon the latter, and theselevers are sufficiently long that some of the wheels of the train willbe upon some portion of the levers until the last truck of the train haspassed. When the train has passed, I provide fora lifting of the leversC' D. This is preferably effected by the cam action of the parts C2 or yupon the under side of the projections 18, the engaging surface of oneof said parts being formed on an inclined plane. To facilitate thisoperation, antifriction devices may be provided, such as, intheconstruction illustrated, rollers 54, mounted in the bracket y.

Where a train approaches the switch to run upon the side track a b andthe switch is set for the main track, a manual operation is necessary tothrow the switch for the side track. This is done by the hand-lever L,already described. In order, however, that the weight of the trai-nlupon the levers C D may not throw the switch-rails for the main track, Iprovide a manually-operated mechanism for effecting the same result asthe levers A5 B3. This mechanism comprises a rock-shaft V, mounted inthe culvert 4c and having a slotted arm V'. This arm is engaged by a pinu in the lower end of a hand-lever W, which latter is preferably mountedon one of the plates g. When the lever WV is moved to the right, theaction of' the pin o on the inclined arm V turns the shaft V to theleft. 33 is an arm fixed on the shaft V and connected by a rod IOO 311with the arms e, Fig. 2, and, when the handlever W is moved to the rightin Fig. 1, serving to detach the cams C2 from the track-levers C D inthe same manner in which they are detached by the levers A3 B3 When thetrain comes from the left.

m3 is a plate pivotally connected at 35 with the lever NV and adapted toengage the plate g or the timber f when the shaft V has been turned theproper distance to detach the cams C2. When so thrown, it may betemporarily held in position by placing the foot upon the plate m3 Whilethe lever L is operated in case the switch-rails are set for the maintrack and require to be changed.

36 is a forked arm attached to the plate m3 and having a series of holesand a pin whereby the plate may be adjusted on the lever W to properlylimit its throw.

Z is an arm fixed on the shaft V and pressed to the right by a springfr', so as to keep the shaft in its normal position, turned to theright, with the lever 1V to the left, except when the lever WV isintentionally operated.

P and O are a similar spring and arm similarly controlling the shaft D3,Fig. 2, and tending to lift the levers AB B3.

The connections of the rods 26 and 34 with the levers c are loose, sothat either rod may be pulled to operate the levers Without disturbingthe other rod, Fig. 5.

Referring especially to Figs. 6 and 7, one mode of constructing thelever-lifting devices is illustrated on a larger scale. 50 is the squarebearing portion of the cam C2, which fits and slides on the square part19 of the shaft B3. 51 is a sleeve which also slides on the shaft and isconnected with the bracket g/ by an arm 52. Said bracket comprises aframe in which are fitted and supported shafts 53, carrying a series ofindependent rollers 54 for engaging the lever-finger 18 and lifting bythe longitudinal movement of the bracket y under the stress of thespring Q the levers or rail-sections C' D.

lt will be understood that a set of devices such as are shown in Figs. 6and 7 is provided for the levers C', and another set of similar deviceson the same shaft 132 is provided for the levers D.

l claim- 1. The combination with a plurality of tracks havingswitch-actuating parts or levers, and the switch-rails, of actuatingmechanism connecting said parts With the switchrails, a second set ofswitch-actuating parts or levers beyond the switch-rails, mechanismconnecting the latter levers With the switchrails, and a third set oflevers connected with the mechanism of said second set whereby thesecond set of levers may be rendered inoperative.

2. The combination with the rock-shaft B2 and the levers C' D', of thesliding cams C2, brackets y carrying rollers, and means forreciprocating said cams and brackets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES 1I. STRAUSS.

Witnesses:

A. M. SMITH, FRANK JOHNSON.

